Questions tagged [belgium]
A country bordered by France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany. Originally inhabited by the Belgae ;people that gave the area its name.
24
questions
28
votes
1answer
6k views
Did a unit of 40 men hold off Rommel's “ghost division” for 18 days?
I found the following baffling claim on a Wikipedia article regarding the "Chasseurs Ardennais" in World War II:
A unit of only 40 men held off the combined arms of the German forces, ...
6
votes
1answer
221 views
Why are some school systems from September–July versus others that go April–March?
I've heard from colleagues and on-line sources that the Japanese school system starts the school year on 1st of April and I've heard the same used to be true in Germany. In Belgium, where I live, I ...
6
votes
1answer
351 views
Why has the Congo ended up French-speaking but not Flemish-speaking? [closed]
Why is there hardly any Flemish linguistic heritage in the former Belgian colonies, at least at the institutional level?
EDIT (Evidence of prior research): Neither the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the title of the Magritte painting that shows a horse-headed woman looking out of a stone window?
I hope this is a reasonable place to ask this question, at least until an art history StackExchange shows up. My memory is hazy about this but I seem to remember a René Magritte painting that depicts ...
1
vote
1answer
228 views
What was the age of majority in France and Belgium in 1945?
What was the age at which a child became an adult, for purposes of executing a legal document, in France and Belgium at the end of the Second World War? I cannot find a site that gives a history of ...
0
votes
1answer
316 views
Why was King Leopold III so hated in Belgium after the Second World War? [closed]
Did the Belgians resent him for surrendering or was it something he did during occupation? His decision to stay with his soldiers instead of flee seems extremely admirable.
Wikipedia says that after ...
0
votes
2answers
298 views
How did Belgium manage to maintain control over their colonies while they were occupied? [closed]
Belgium was occupied during both the first and second world wars. I know that the Belgian Congo gained land after WW1. And I guess the Belgian Congo had some sort of independence, but I'm not sure ...
12
votes
2answers
951 views
Did the Zone Rouge in France and Belgium make a difference in WWII?
WWI left a huge impact on the European landscape - thousands of miles of trenches, torn-apart earth mixed with unexploded ordnance and chemical weapons fallout, and other nasty surprises from the "...
2
votes
2answers
510 views
Why didn’t the Franco-Belgian accord of 1920 lead to extending the construction of the Maginot line along the Belgium-Netherlands border?
The Franco-Belgian Accord, which lasted from 1920 until October 1936 when Belgium declared itself neutral, included an article which 'discussed greater integration of frontier defenses' (according to ...
3
votes
1answer
303 views
Is there any truth to the story of a British general breaking down in tears upon seeing the battlefield conditions at Passchendaele?
An oft-repeated anecdote about World War I (and the lack of understanding among high ranking officers) claims that, after the Third Battle of Ypres (aka Passchendaele), a British general visited the ...
4
votes
1answer
350 views
When and why was the Shinkolobwe Mine flooded and re-opened?
The Shinkolobwe Mine was the best Uranium mine during WW2. It had great concentration of uranium oxides on the order of 20% to 65%. By contrast, all other Uranium mines I've read about had ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Why wasn't there French irredentism or pan-fransicm?
In the period from the mid 19th century until the end of the second World War, irredentism was a very common thing. For example, before the first world war, Italy wanted to annex the Italian speaking ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Were the English behind the creation of Belgium? [duplicate]
The other day I read an article in a printed newspaper which explained that the British had a tradition of trying to break any continental power (links to recent news is not a coincidence).
Among the ...
0
votes
2answers
652 views
What do the letters “L” and “G” mean on the coat of arms of the city of Liège?
The coat of arms of Liège consists of a column (called a Perron) with lions at the base. The column is flanked by the letters L and G:
What do the letters L and G stand for? My guess is a Latin ...
16
votes
2answers
12k views
Spanish Influence on the Netherlands and Belgium?
Spain had ruled the Netherlands (and Belgium) in varying degrees between the 16th and 17th centuries. However, I haven't noticed much of a cultural influence or impact with historical roots in Spanish ...
2
votes
0answers
628 views
Why was “Belgium” Anglicized as such? [closed]
The country of Belgium derives its name from Gallia Belgica, the Roman province. This led to "België" in Dutch, "Belgique" in French, and "Belgium" in English.
Why was the Latin word Anglicized this ...
17
votes
4answers
3k views
How were the British and French armies invited into Belgium in 1914?
In August of 1914 Belgium refused entry to the German army, which then invaded Belgium. Apparently Belgium then invited the British and French armies into its territories, leading to Belgium becoming ...
1
vote
1answer
174 views
What was the meaning of Auguste Delfosse's statement “La liberté française pour faire le tour du monde n'a pas besoin de passer en Belgique!”
Auguste Delfosse, a Belgian politician, is said to have given this statement in the Belgian House of Representatives on March 1, 1848:
La liberté française pour faire le tour du monde n'a pas ...
12
votes
2answers
503 views
Why did 1906 Iranian constitutionalists use the Belgian constitution as inspiration?
The Constitutional Revolution of Iran in 1906 resulted in a constitution that established a parliament and a constitutional monarchy. Interestingly, it was based on the Belgian constitution.
Was ...
6
votes
1answer
546 views
Why was the Le Chapelier law annulled in Belgium?
The Le Chapelier Law was an important law in Belgium, as it implicitly disallowed the proletariat from associating, or organising a strike.
As the parliament at the time (1864) was dominated by the ...
3
votes
0answers
168 views
Which is closer to Old Dutch? [closed]
The Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium and the Netherlands are diverse, but if a general statement can be made, which, as spoken today, is closer to the root of the language?
5
votes
3answers
17k views
Why did Germany attack Neutral Belgium in the first world war?
I have a basic idea about the Schieffen plan and I know that Germany attacked Belgium in the First world war. But I am slightly confused about this topic, as despite the fact that the schieffen plan ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
Why does the monarchy of Belgium still exist after Leopold 2?
I was browsing the internet and came across the post Which Dictator Killed the Most People. It seems that Leopold 2 had a lot of people killed.
This got me thinking, I don't see for example heirs of ...
18
votes
5answers
17k views
What led to the creation of Belgium?
Why was Belgium created as opposed to grouping the Fracophone Walloons and the Dutch-Speaking Flemish with their respective linguistically similar neighbor countries; France and the Netherlands?
